Colo. suspect's gun range membership rejected

A "bizarre, freakish" voicemail greeting led staff to not accept James Holmes

Anderson Independent-Mail

AURORA, Colo. — Shooting suspect James Holmes applied to join a Colorado gun range last month but never became a member because of his behavior and a "bizarre" message on his voice mail greeting, the range's owner said Sunday.

Holmes, 24, emailed an application to join the Lead Valley Range in Byers on June 25 in which he said he was not a user of illegal drugs or a convicted felon, said owner Glenn Rotkovich.

But when Rotkovich called to invite him to a mandatory orientation the following week, he said he heard Holmes' voice mail greeting that was "bizarre — guttural, freakish at best."